Takings Risks in Order to Reach above Those Clouds
by SuzunoKoi
Summary: During a visit to Ikebukuro, Sora meets a famous model named Kasumi Sakurai. The following day, however, he finds out that Kasumi is the next client to his team and soon becomes her bodyguard. The story takes place in the year 4,524, over 2,500 years after the events of Keys to Immortal Beings and features two more heroines.
1. Episode 1

The Next Client

March had already arrived not too long ago. In fact, it was already nearing the middle of the second week. While many people were out enjoying their lives or focused on popular careers, a group of bodyguards were working on a private matter. Yes—it was something the public didn't know about unless they were working for the Japanese government. Many things weren't known about what government employees did, but they certainly weren't of concern for most of the residents in Tokyo, unless it involved danger for someone.

But…

It seemed like a perfectly nice day for some time off from work. Yet, most of the bodyguards and government officials, including the prime minister, were busier than ever before. Perhaps something great was about to happen. After all, there was _one_ bodyguard in particular who had the day off.

"Hmm? Sora, are you going already?" a bodyguard with spiky black hair turned around.

Sora Hirosue, another bodyguard whose stature was a bit shorter than the other's, smiled pleasantly. "Yeah, I'll be going to Ikebukuro today for my day off. You guys are going to be working hard again today, right, Kaiji?"

"Of course we are!" Kaiji exclaimed. Then he frowned. "It's about our next client, Sora. You were there with us when the chief announced it, remember? It should be a given by now that we have to put in more time and effort when it comes to finding out about our clients."

"Ahaha!" the copper-haired bodyguard laughed delightedly. With a wink, he continued. "Look, don't worry about it. I'm sure it won't take too long for you guys to gather up all that information. Besides, we've all done this many times before, so it shouldn't be much of a hassle without me today."

Kaiji folded his arms and looked at the older bodyguard. "Honestly, what are we going to do with you? You're the older one, you know. How can you be so playful at a time like this? Although, I guess that's what makes you who you are."

"Well," Sora said. "Isn't it better to be positive, rather than to be negative at a time like this? Anyway, I better get going. See you, Kaiji."

Hearing those words from his senior bodyguard, Kaiji couldn't help but smile back. "See you later, Sora."

And so, the copper-haired young man turned around and made his way to what used to be the most dangerous city in all of Tokyo. It was his first time visiting the city, but he was also looking forward to it. There was something about Ikebukuro that attracted him to it, and yet… Little did he know that he was going meet someone who would change his life forever.

When he arrived in Ikebukuro, Sora could not believe his eyes. The city was calm and peaceful, unlike how it was up until near the end of May 2010. It was indeed a sight to behold. To think that this was a city that once had color gangs and violence to it... It was something that Sora himself could not believe.

_So _this_ is the city that was once known for being the most dangerous of all, huh, _he thought.

"Ikebukuro," the copper-haired young man breathed. "It really _has_ changed since 2010. The way it is now, you would hardly believe it was the number one most feared city out of all the ones in Tokyo."

_That's right, isn't it? Even now... the world is constantly changing. But this place…_

"…has changed much more rapidly than anywhere else," he finished for himself. Then, his astonishment turned into a grimacing expression. "What the heck am I thinking? Of course it's changed from then. It's been over 2,500 years since then. Things are going to change no matter what century we're in!"

He took out his cell phone and flipped it open, revealing the time and date. It was currently a Tuesday on March 7, 4524 and it was already 1: 13 p.m. Sora frowned at the sight of the current time period and hurriedly closed his flip phone, jamming it into his pocket as he kept walking, while taking a glance around all of Ikebukuro.

It was not until a moment later that he ended up bumping into someone. And right in front of a modeling agency at that.

"Ow!" a girl's voice was heard.

The sound of it was enough to make him come back to his senses. Sora blinked and opened his eyes in an instant before finally seeing the girl he had collided with. The sight in front of him was enough to take his breath away. Right there was a beauty who had long, wavy sky blue-colored hair and although only her left eye was fully opened, he could tell that she _had_ to have light lavender eyes just by seeing her. She was also wearing a black dress with ruffles on both the top and lower parts with a matching pair of black high-heels.

"Ugh…" the girl said, rubbing the side of her head with her right hand. She had her right eye closed from the impact of the fall as well, giving her a typical pained look anyone, whether fictional or not, would have if they fell back from having a collision with another person. "That really hurts…"

Sora's eyes lowered with a sad look in them.

_Yeah, _he thought, _that must have really done a bit of external damage…_

"Sorry," the copper-haired young man apologized, extending his right arm towards the sky blue-haired girl, "are you okay?"

With both of her eyes now fully opened, the girl in front of him nodded as she looked at Sora's face. Then, she took her right hand in his and nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine now."

With a strong grip, the copper-haired bodyguard pulled the both of them up and smiled. "I'm Sora Hirosue, and you are?"

The sky blue-haired girl looked at him and introduced herself. "My name is Kasumi Sakurai. I'm a model at this agency. You walked right into me when I came out."

"Huh?" Sora looked taken aback at hearing those words. "You're Kasumi Sakurai?! Kasumi Sakurai—as in the most famous model in all of Tokyo?!"

Kasumi gave another nod. "That's right. This is where I work."

Sora glanced up at the building they were in front of. The sign at the very top read: "Wonderful Modeling Agency"; a.k.a. (Subarashii Zokei Dairiten/素晴らしい造形代理店). Though it was a strange name for a company, it was acknowledged as the top _dairiten_, due to the popularity and promotion of their models. The building itself was said to be nearly as old as Sakurai College, having been built around the time Ikebukuro spontaneously changed.

"Ah, you're right," Sora finally said. He looked back at Kasumi and smiled. "Again, sorry about what happened just now. I was kind of lost in thought after coming here."

The sky blue-haired girl blinked. "? Is this your first time in Ikebukuro?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah, I've been pretty busy lately with work, so I've never had a chance to come here until now."

"Now that I think about it," Kasumi continued, "you don't really look like a resident here. Are you a human?"

"Uh, yeah. Aren't you?" the copper-haired young man asked.

"Well…" Kasumi's eyes had a distant look to them as she trailed off, glancing to her right.

Just then, Sora suddenly had an idea.

He smiled at the sky blue-haired girl once more. "Why don't we go somewhere? You know, to make up for what happened."

When she heard his offer, Kasumi turned her head to look at Sora. "Huh…?" She tilted her head down, looking at the ground. "But… You don't know where to go, do you? I mean, you said that this is your first time in Ikebukuro."

"Ahaha…" Sora could feel himself sweat-dropping. "Well, if you don't mind, do you think you could show me around Ikebukuro? Before I knew it, I ended up in front of your agency after spacing out for a bit."

That was when he saw Kasumi's lips curl into a smile. "After bumping into me? You sure have some guts to ask me a favor, and not to mention, helping you around town."

"Well… I can explain." Sora put his hand on the back of his head. "You see…"

"I don't mind," the model continued.

Sora blinked for a couple of seconds. "Wait, what?"

"I said I don't mind," Kasumi reiterated.

"So, you're really going to show me around Ikebukuro?" the copper-haired bodyguard asked.

Kasumi nodded for the third time that day. "You said you would make it up for today, right?" She took hold of Sora's left hand and started walking, intertwining their fingers together, as she led him around the now peaceful city. She couldn't help but feel excited for some reason. "Come on, Sora. A deal's a deal!"

_Heehee! For some reason, it feels like we're on a date. Even though I just met him, I feel at ease with Sora._

"W-Wait, Kasumi!" the copper-haired young man exclaimed. "Where are we going?" Sora's face became a light shade of red all of a sudden. "I mean, I don't mind, but… I would at least like to know where we're going."

_What's this feeling? I don't know why, but it feels nice having a girl hold my hand for once._

With a softer expression, Kasumi replied with a, "You'll see."

After walking around for some time, the two of them ended up sitting right across from each other inside of a fast-food restaurant. What was even _more_ intriguing was that it wasn't Sora's treat, but Kasumi's. Still, they were at least eating together.

_What a strange day this has been, _Sora thought. _First, I get the day off from work, and then I meet Kasumi shortly after coming to Ikebukuro for a visit. After that, we've basically been hitting it off. Is this supposed to be my lucky day, or what?_

He had a somewhat tired expression etched onto his face, which soon became a warm smile when he thought about how his day off has recently turned out.

_But… I guess it wasn't so bad. I mean, here I am with the number one mode in all of Japan, after all. I _still_ can't believe I got to meet Kasumi in person. Who knew she would be living in Ikebukuro, and not to mention the fact that she's been living here for a long time, too. Man, I bet Kaiji's gonna be jealous when I tell him._

There came a sigh from the copper-haired young man as his thoughts continued.

_I guess this is the day I'll have to owe him one for working his butt off with the others on finding information about the client. At _least_ I'm not doing anything for _Subaru_ this time. Who knows what would happen if I _did_ owe him one._

Kasumi titled her head to the side in confusion when she saw Sora's expression. "? What's wrong, Sora?"

Sora looked up and blinked. Twice. "Huh? Oh, uh, sorry. Did you say something, Kasumi?"

"I just asked if something was wrong," the sky blue-haired girl replied, shaking her head. "Did something happen? You had a pretty foul look on your face."

_Oh. Guess I must've worried her a bit._

Without much effort, he gave her a charming smile and winked. "Nothing's wrong, really. I was just thinking about something."

"Is that so? Well, why don't you finish your food? You can eat all you want, you know," Kasumi added. "It _is_ my treat, after all." She took a bit out of her hamburger and smiled delightedly. "It's really delicious here. The food, I mean."

Sora smiled at the sight of the model eating happily. Just looking at Kasumi smile and eat was enough to make his whole day worthwhile. Taking the opportunity in front of him, he began to eat faster, amazing the girl in front of him.

"…" Having finished her portion, Kasumi blinked. She was astonished when she saw how much the copper-haired young man was eating.

Sora, in turn, saw the model's bewilderment, and smiled at her. "Hmm? What's wrong, Kasumi? You look like you've never seen anyone eat this much food before."

"That's because I haven't," the sky blue-haired girl responded, still surprised by how much Sora had already eaten in just less than fifteen minutes. "Not until now, that is." Another smile formed from her mouth as she was now looking at the bodyguard face-to-face. "I'm glad you like the food, though. It really made me happy when you told me that you'd make up for what happened earlier."

Sora gulped, staring back at Kasumi. This time, he was sure of it. A medium tint of reddish pink formed on both of his cheeks, and he felt certain of what was happening. He was falling for the girl across from him more and more as time ticked away.

"Hey, Kasumi?" he asked, trying to shake off the anxious feeling dwelling within his heart.

Kasumi glanced at Sora and gave him yet another smile. "Hmm?"

_Thump._

Kasumi's smile was enough to make Sora's heart pound. Of course, he was nervous, but seeing a smile from the top model, was enough to also give him the courage he needed to continue.

"Would you like it, if we could see each other again?" he inquired. "I've started to develop an interest in you the moment we walked around Ikebukuro together, and I'd like to see you again after today. I know we met a few hours ago, but this is how I really feel. That's why, I want to meet you once more."

Kasumi's eyes widened after hearing those words. "You mean, as in start a relationship together?" The sky blue-haired girl looked at her lap for a few seconds before glancing back at Sora. "Are you sure? I might not be suited for someone like you, Sora. I mean, I'm actually quite flattered that you would ask me, and I would love to see you again—really, I would. There's just a problem. You see, I'm actually different from all of the girls you might have been with before. You'd probably be happier if you were with someone else. After all, you know about my status, don't you? I'm…"

"I know," the copper-haired bodyguard said softly. "I know you're engaged to someone else, Kasumi, but that doesn't change the fact that I want to see you. It's fine if you don't want to, but—"

"I never said I didn't want to meet you again, Sora," Kasumi answered, cutting Sora off. "Did you already forget what I told you? I said it, remember? I said that I would really like to see you again, so I've made up my mind. I'll meet up with you again, no matter what."

"Kasumi…"

Before he knew it, Sora was already locking hands with the sky blue-haired girl, and the two exchanged contact information before the sun had begun to set.

Back at the Prime Minister's residence, a conversation could be heard between a few of the employees.

"What? Are you sure?" a voice began.

Another man nodded. "I'm positive about our client. She might as well be the prime minister's daughter."

"Hmm… I do agree that she attracts much attention from the public, just like the prime minister."

"Then, there should be no problem with it," a third voice added. "We must find her tomorrow and bring her here. There is a chance something could happen if we don't."

"Right," one of the men nodded. "My team will take action for securing the client tomorrow afternoon."

"Then I shall leave it to you, Katsuragi."

"Understood."

The next day, Daichi Katsuragi had his entire team gathered. The bodyguards were waiting for their chief's words and instructions. Apparently, the meeting was about the next client they were going to guard, and it was a _very_ serious matter for everyone in the Prime Minister's residence that day.

"Yesterday, we gathered information on our current client," Katsuragi informed his team. "The investigation team and I had a few assumptions about her, as well as a possible relation to the prime minister. Other than that, it seems that the information and our very own assumptions about the client… were leaked by an unknown enemy."

"What?!" Mizuki Fujisaki's eyes widened in shock. His shocked expression was soon overtaken by a stern one. "Is this true, Chief?"

The older man looked down in grief. "Unfortunately, yes. Ishigami, Goto, and I were too focused on our discussion last night that we had not anticipated any signs of it until it was late into the night." Shortly afterwards, he glanced back at his team and a new resolve took over his disappointment. "However, we will be finding our client today and bring her out of harm's way."

"Right," Kaiji agreed. "We have to hurry before the enemy reaches her."

"Aren't we forgetting something, though?" Subaru Ichiyanagi pointed out.

"Huh? What?" spiky-haired bodyguard asked.

Subaru sighed and faced his fellow team member. "Sora, you idiot! We haven't told Sora yet."

"Oh, right," Kaiji looked away. "Sorry…"

"I'm sure he'll be here soon," Mizuki reassured the group. "He should be here soon, anyway."

Just then, the door opened and Sora came in.

"Hey, Kaiji, I have something you'll be dying for!" the copper-haired bodyguard announced. Then, he stopped in his tracks and took a look around. "Hmm? Are we already going to find the client?"

"Sora!" Katsuragi exclaimed. "Good, you're here! We were about to discuss our plans to find the client." He went over to a desk and grabbed what seemed to be a profile on their next client. Then, he handed to Sora and said, "Have a look at the information we have gathered. We'll have to find our client soon."

"Why? What happened?" the copper-haired bodyguard questioned as he took the folder from Daichi.

"Yesterday, the information was leaked," Subaru explained. "The investigation team and Mr. Katsuragi had a discussion about our client and their assumptions were heard by an unknown enemy."

"They even sent a threat to the prime minister after they found out," Mizuki continued. "You'd better hurry and look through the report, Sora. We have to move faster this time."

Sora nodded. "Understood. I'll make sure to memorize everything within a few minutes."

He opened folder and what he saw was something unexpected. As soon as he had given the report a glance, he was shocked to see who their client was. Within a few seconds, the slight bundle of papers had slipped from his hands and fallen onto the carpet floor.

"Kasumi?!"


	2. Episode 2

A Misunderstanding Leads to Danger

"Kasumi?!" Sora shouted in disbelief. He could not believe what he had just found out. Indeed. It was quite disastrous for him, and it had only been less than twenty-four hours since he met the bodyguards' client.

"Calm down, Sora," Subaru demanded. "Now why are you so shocked to see that our client is none other than Kasumi Sakurai? Well, not that it makes you any worse than Kaiji, but…" Subaru shook his head, a bit annoyed from the previous night, having remembered the spiky-haired bodyguard's same-but-not-exact reaction.

"Hey!" Kaiji exclaimed. "It's not like I could help it, Subaru!" He folded his arms against his chest and added something else. "I mean, this is such a rare opportunity, especially the fact that I finally get the chance to meet my favorite model. So, don't blame me for what happened yesterday after we found out that she was going to be our next client! I couldn't help myself, you know!" Kaiji's face flushed furiously as he countered the elite's statement with his own.

"Ehehe!" Mizuki giggled slightly. "Come on, Subaru. Give him some clack. It's not such a bad thing to get excited over this, now, is it?"

Subaru frowned as he looked at the former celebrity. "You know…. This is as important to me as it is to everyone else on our team. Don't you think I would have thought about that by now, Mizuki?"

"Oh? How so?" Sora had already turned around by the time his two fellow bodyguards were arguing. "I thought you guys were supposed to be more focused on this mission, but I guess not."

"Sora?!" Kaiji's eyes widened. "When did you…?"

Sora's eyes narrowed, but he wasn't really irritated at Kaiji's behavior. "Kaiji, you guys were loud enough to blow up a karaoke box. How could I _not_ listen in on this?"

"Looks like you've already finished looking over the report, huh?" Mizuki noted. "That's pretty impressive, Sora."

"What can I say?" the copper-haired bodyguard shrugged light-heartedly. "This is an urgent matter, so I had to get it done within a few."

"Anyway," Subaru interrupted, "do you have something you don't like about her being our client? You sounded like you couldn't believe what you say. Plus, it was like you were distraught over it or something. Did anything happen yesterday while you were out, or are you gunning for my fiancée, now that you know she's on our list?"

"Wait, what?!" Sora shouted again. "Kasumi's your fiancée?!"

Subaru's eyes narrowed as he was reminded of the fact that he was engaged none other than a female model whose sales and looks skyrocketed the entertainment industry. "Yeah, she's my fiancée, and she's very prominent wherever she goes. What about it?"

"Well sorry to say this, Mr. Elite," Sora told the taller man, "but I happened to run into her yesterday in Ikebukuro. You know, the city that was once known to be the most dangerous and feared of them all. Of course, you wouldn't have known where she was all this time now, would you?"

Subaru sighed. "It's not like I see her often, anyway, but Ikebukuro of all places? The city's former reputation hasn't worn off in Tokyo, you know. There are people who still think that it's the same as it was when Shizuo Heiwajima was still around."

"There's also that legend about the Black Rider, right?" Kaiji grinned. "I heard that there was someone who rode a black motorcycle around that time, too, so I thought it was pretty interesting."

Mizuki had a surprised expression as he added something to the conversation. "I should probably tell you all this, but… Well. I did some research since we had a chat about Ikebukuro before." There was a serious expression plastered on his face as he urged on. "Apparently, there doesn't seem to be any information about the city since the end of May 2010. The last newspaper article, which was also digitally published about it, said that all of the residents living in Ikebukuro had moved on May 29, 2010. I found it to be a suspicious matter since Sora brought up the fact that Miss Sakurai is currently residing in the same city as the original inhabitants. There's definitely something I want to confirm with the client about this when we retrieve her and bring her here."

"Now that I think about it," Subaru reminded, "we couldn't find much about Kasumi's whereabouts, or even any information on her private life. Besides the information I provided about her, not much is known about her family, either. So what could this possibly mean?"

"Oh, yeah!" Sora suddenly remembered. "You guys didn't put where she lived on the report, either. Did you also put down the stuff from the webpage on there, too? We did look up stuff about Kasumi a few times before, right?"

"Right," Subaru confirmed. "We just couldn't find much about her. Usually, the websites only provide a certain amount of detail about a person. Only the basic information was about all we could find, nothing more, nothing less. Everything else was told by no one other than myself and my father."

"So, doesn't this mean that it's a coincidence that she's living in Ikebukuro, or is it something else?" Kaiji asked, unsure of his feelings towards the current situation.

"There's not much we can do about it right now, but one thing's for sure: We _have_ to get to Kasumi before the enemy does," Subaru told the group. "If we don't… she could be in danger."

Mizuki looked around. "Speaking of which, where's the chief?"

"He probably went to get the helicopter ready," Sora said. "Not like it helps since he's not here right now."

Just then, a certain figure appeared behind the copper-haired bodyguard. "Ahem."

Sora turned around. "Ack, Chief!"

Mizuki's eyes widened at the sudden arrival of the older bodyguard. "W-When did you get here, Chief?!"

"There's no time for questions and answers right now, you goofballs!" Katsuragi shouted at his team members. Immediately after that, he gave the two in front of him each a knock on the side of their heads. "While I was gone, I heard everything you said. Just because I was gone for a bit, it does not give you all the right to goof off and have any petty disputes or laidback comments on the subject at hand. "Right now, we should be looking for our client. Now, let's hurry and get to the helicopter. Also, Sora?"

"Yes, Chief?" Sora answered.

Daichi sighed and gave a resigned expression. "Don't forget your usual disguise."

"Yessir," the copper-haired young man grimaced before leaving with the other bodyguards.

At the modeling agency where she worked, Kasumi gave her co-workers a satisfying smile. She had just finished a shoot that day, and was about to leave.

"Good work today, Kasumi!" one of the co-workers complimented the top model.

The sky blue-haired girl closed her eyes, revealing a bright and lively eye smile. "Thank you very much! Good work to you, as well. I hope you all have a great day."

A female co-worker smirked. "Say, Sakurai-san. You look very happy today. Did something happen?"

"Hmm? I guess you can say that, but it's nothing to get worked up for," Kasumi replied.

"But you know~," the female co-worker continued, "most of us are wondering if you have a boyfriend. It wouldn't hurt to tell us if you do. We all like you, Sakurai-san, and everyone admires the amount of effort you put into your schedule."

Kasumi placed a finger on the side of her face and had a look as if she was pondering about the matter. "Nn… Well, I guess you can say that I have one." She smiled once more as if it were the truth.

"Wow, you do?" the co-worker who had praised her said in surprise. "Congratulations, Kasumi!"

The female co-worker applauded lightly. "So, does this mean that you've finally broken off your engagement to what's-his-face?"

"Not yet," Kasumi frowned irritably. "He's actually quite a pain to talk to." Then, she smiled again. "I'll make sure to break it off it off when I can finally find a good time to do so. To tell you the truth, it's uncomfortable to even be around my fiancé."

"Oh, I get it. An arrogant guy isn't really suited for our kind."

"The same goes for anyone we find unpleasant," the male co-worker added. "Being engaged to someone you don't like is tiring. I feel bad for what you have to go through whenever you meet your fiancé, Kasumi. Going on a date and even having dinner with him… Doesn't it make you feel as if the meals you eat with him are grotesque? No matter how extravagant the food is, it doesn't feel the same unless you have a bit of comfort."

"You're right…" Kasumi agreed. "It would have been better if his parents had refused, though."

"Guess you're looking forward to seeing your boyfriend, huh?" the female co-worker perked. "I bet he's a really nice guy, seeing as you've already agreed to go out with him."

Kasumi gave another eye smile. "Yeah. I'm hoping to see him again soon." She opened her eyes and raised her hand up. "See you later!"

"Bye, Kasumi!"

"See you later, Sakurai-san!"

Walking out the front doors, Kasumi couldn't help but feel better when she thought about Sora. It wasn't until after she left the building that she got to see him again.

"Sora?" Kasumi's eyes widened in mild surprise. She blinked twice, and was unsure why he was in front of her agency. "What brings you here today? I thought you had work at this time."

Sora walked up to the sky blue-haired girl. "Sorry, Kasumi. I actually came here to get you. You see, there's something I need to talk to you about, but you have to get on first."

"Can't you… explain it to me right now…?" Kasumi had a troubled expression on her face when she heard those words. "Where exactly are we going?"

Suddenly, the sound of propellers filled the area, and a rope ladder came down in front of them. Along with that, Subaru appeared in front of Kasumi's eyes.

"Hurry and come with us!" he told the sky blue-haired girl. He was holding onto the edge of the ladder as he looked at his fiancée."

Kasumi's eyes widened, showing her astonishment. However, that soon became a look of anger. "Subaru?! What are you doing here?! If you've come here to take me away from Ikebukuro, I won't go with you!"

"Just come with us and climb up!" the lieutenant told the model. "We don't have time before someone finds you." He glanced at Sora and continued. "Sora, tell her to get on before anyone else finds her. Also, your outfit's not looking so great, either."

"Look," Sora began a retort without looking back, "it's not like I can help it. You guys were the ones who told me that I needed to change into this, remember? Do you really have to embarrass me like this in front of Kasumi?"

"Whatever," Subaru brushed off. "Anyway, hurry it up! We don't have _that_ much time to waste, you know."

"I know, I know," Sora muttered under his breath. "Anyway, I can't explain much right now, Kasumi, but trust me on this. We're not here to do anything against your will on purpose, but… As you can see here, we need you to come with us. It'll be safe, I promise."

Kasumi glanced at Sora before shifting her gaze to Subaru, and back. Then, she looked into Sora's eyes and could tell he was not lying to her, so she nodded. "I understand. I trust you, Sora." Without a second thought crossing her mind, Kasumi ran up to the copper-haired bodyguard, closed her eyes, and threw herself into his arms. She could feel his warmth seeping through his clothes and stayed in the position she was in, reassured that it would be okay.

Sora could feel the same warmth emanating from the girl holding onto him. "Kasumi… It'll be okay," he repeated, putting his arms around her.

Subaru sighed at the sight in front of his eyes and walked up to Sora, whose back was taking up most of his vision. "Geez, you're taking too long to get her up the ladder." He reached out and grabbed Sora's collar, then dragged him (and Kasumi) towards the ladder.

"H-Hey! Subaru! You're choking me!" Sora complained. "Ack!" He put his right hand around the front of his neck and rubbed it. Never before in his life had he felt so uncomfortable from anything that his teammates had done to him, and getting hit wasn't much of a big deal than what he had just went through.

"Come on, get going already, and just climb up before we attract any more attention from the residents here," Subaru commanded in irritation.

"Alright, I'm climbing," Sora answered in a similar manner while going further up with his left arm wrapped around Kasumi's sleeping form. "See? You're just making things harder for everyone, Subaru!"

"Shut up!" the elite bodyguard yelled. He had already started climbing after the two ahead of him. Then, he raised his head up and looked into the inside of the helicopter. "Mizuki! Tell Kaiji to start moving this instant! If the enemy catches us and climbs onto the ladder—"

"I'm already on it! Don't worry, Subaru!" Although he couldn't be seen, Mizuki's voice could be heard.

Just then, the helicopter started moving and rose up into the sky. Sora (still holding onto Kasumi) and Subaru climbed up and made it inside. Shortly afterwards, Mizuki pulled the ladder up and closed the door the other three had come through.

"Sorry, Mizuki," Sora apologized, "but could you find a spot for Kasumi to lay down or sit on? I have to go change out of this dress and everything else I'm wearing right now."

"No problem," the silver-haired bodyguard replied. "I'll watch over her with Subaru, so you can go on. But, it's amazing that you carried her up here while she was asleep. She must've had a long day by the time we arrived."

Sora nodded. "Yeah, seems like we barely made it, but we were still able to get to her first." Having just carried her bridal-style at that moment, he handed the sleeping model to Mizuki, who was now carrying her the same way. "Thanks. I'll go to the front after I'm done since Kaiji's there by himself. We shouldn't have much of a problem going back to the prime minister's place after this." Within a few seconds, Sora dashed off to the changing room, leaving Mizuki and Subaru there with a sleeping Kasumi.

"You know," Subaru began, "he should really run off when wearing a dress or skirt. He could give anyone a flash of his underpants and butt at any time."

Mizuki turned around with a slight smile. "Ahaha… But his dress isn't very short, so he wouldn't be able to, anyway, Subaru. Sora's had a lot to go through just to get to this position, so you might as well try to be nicer to him since he just played a big part in bringing Miss Sakurai here."

"Tch." A sound of small resignation and frustration came from Subaru's mouth. He was _clearly_ not enjoying this. "He's the one who placed his hands on my fiancée. I can't let him beat me at winning Kasumi's favor."

"Oh?" Mizuki seemed genuinely surprised. "Could you be saying that you've had feelings for Miss Sakurai this whole time? You've never really admit your feelings around any of us very often, and you've always had a calm look on your face even when we first heard about the fact that you were engaged. But you don't meet very often, do you?"

"Shut up!" Subaru blushed. Even Mizuki could see shades of red blossoming and spreading onto his face. It was obvious to anyone who saw the elite bodyguard's face how he felt about the sky blue-haired girl. "It's not like I've ever really taken marriage seriously until the day I met her, you know! Besides, we met as kids, so of course there's a possibility of falling in love at a young age."

Mizuki smiled moderately at the sight of his embarrassed co-worker. "Maybe it would be better between the two of you if you were to honestly admit your feelings, Subaru." He placed Kasumi's sleeping body on a chair in front of where Subaru sitting. "It seemed as if Miss Sakurai wasn't very pleased at seeing you down there. Your high and mighty attitude isn't going to make her, or any other girls for that matter, think of you as any more than an arrogant young man who does whatever he wants to get where he is. Not that you're getting any younger, though, but—" He could see the aggravated look on the older man's face. It certainly wasn't a pretty one, either. In fact, the things he said didn't seem to have a calming effect on the elite at all. "Ahaha. You look like you've just been hit by something painful, Subaru. Here, just take a deep breath, okay? I bet you haven't had any coffee for the day, so I'll make sure to have Kaiji prepare some for you later." Suddenly, he had a serious expression as he observed the brunet. "Look. I don't intend to get in the way of your engagement. However, I would like it if you could become someone who can at least be kinder to those around you, especially women. You might not like socializing with most of them, but it's not like you can't change your personality a bit, right? The ruder you are to people, Subaru, the more you'll hurt them. You'll also hurt yourself if you don't try to understand others and how they feel, so lighten up a bit, would you?" He walked over and took a seat right next to Subaru, now having a gentle smile on his face. "I'm not one to get involved with someone else's problems, but you wouldn't want her to hate you, right?"

Subaru took a glance at Mizuki and nodded slowly. "Yeah," he sighed. "That's the last thing I would ever want in this world. Even if I try to be a perfect gentleman in front of her and my father, it wouldn't be easy to become the person my old man would have liked in raising a son like myself. I have my pride and status to keep, after all. It's not as easy as you think, Mizuki. I can't just do something as to admit how I feel to another person, and I can't just be _kind_. If I let my guard down, I couldn't get ahead; I'd get further behind everyone else."

"Then change," the silver-haired bodyguard told his comrade. "Change and become someone _you _want to be, Subaru."

Subaru smiled grimly. "Change, huh? Like that would be easy to do in just a short amount of time."

Just as they were about to land, Kasumi slowly opened her eyes, awakening to the sight of being inside of a helicopter. From what she could see, there were chairs everywhere. She blinked, and everything came back to her within a few seconds.

_…That's right, _she thought. _It wasn't a dream, after all. But… where's Sora…?_

She took a glance around and seemed to catch sight of no one around her. She soon regained her posture and stretched as she stood up. Then, she turned to her right and looked out the window.

_Where am I being taken to…? I've never seen this place before._

Suddenly, she could hear footsteps coming her way.

_…! Someone's coming. And not just one person, either. There are two pairs of footsteps coming this way. I better knock them out, and quickly, too._

Without making a sound, the sky blue-haired girl made her way towards to door from where the footsteps were coming from. She stood next to it and shortly afterwards, the door opened. She threw out a quick punch with her right hand at the direction where the two people were in, and swiftly pulled her arm back as she breathed heavily in medium-sized breaths.

_That was close… Hopefully, it wasn't Sora who got hurt._

"Ooph!" she heard the voice of an unknown man. Whoever the stranger was, it couldn't have been Sora or Subaru.

"…!" Kasumi gasped, unsure of what to do. She had not used very much strength in her punch, but she didn't know who it was. She quickly shut her eyes closed and stood there with her head slightly lowered in fear.

"What happened, Kaiji?" a well-known voice asked. The person sounded surprised from hearing his friend's pained grunt.

"Ugh…" Kaiji frowned, placing his right hand on his stomach. "I don't know who it was, but when I opened the door, I saw someone's hand come flying towards me. Man, whoever it was, they sure had a pretty strong punch. I felt as though my guts were about to shoot out from the inside…"

"That's disgusting, Kaiji. Try holding in that feeling so that no one has to clean up the mess you make."

"Hey!" the spiky-haired bodyguard shouted. "I said I _felt_ like they were about to come out, not that they actually did! Geez… Mizuki, you can say some pretty mean things at times like these. Who knew a former idol could say such things?"

Mizuki smiled pleasantly. "Ehe! Looks like you've just recovered from that punch, Kaiji. Anyway, shouldn't you walk forward? We were going to check up on Miss Sakurai, but looks like something interrupted us."

"Yeah…" Kaiji frowned once more. "I still can't believe she's our client, though. She's pretty popular around places like Shibuya. And sorry to burst your popularity bubble, Mizuki, but she's got more hits than you've ever gotten since your debut." The spiky-haired bodyguard walked forward, but saw no one sitting in any of the seats. "Huh?! She's not here!"

"Are you sure you're looking in the right direction?" Mizuki inquired. I think you went too far up ahead, Kaiji." When he walked out the door, Mizuki turned to his right and saw a frightened Kasumi near him. "Looks like you're fine, Miss Sakurai. It's okay; you can open your eyes now. We didn't mean to scare you."

At that moment, Kasumi opened her eyes and saw Mizuki smiling in front of her. "?"

"Allow me to introduce myself," the silver-haired bodyguard began to explain. "I'm Mizuki Fujisaki. You may have seen me somewhere before, or have even heard of me. Perhaps you know, or you might not know about me at all. However, rest assured. We're not here to do anything to you. You see, we came to bring you here for your own protection."

"I know," the sky blue-haired girl answered. "I could tell when Sora came. And I know _of_ you, Mizuki."

"Then, follow me, Miss Sakurai," Mizuki said. "I also work with Sora and Subaru, so you don't have to be afraid of anything. It's going to be okay."

Kasumi nodded and did as she was told. Kaiji glanced at the two of them and his jaw dropped a bit in astonishment. He soon came back to his senses right after that and followed them inside the building.

"Um, what are we doing here?" Kasumi asked. She and the other bodyguards were now in front of a door, and she was puzzled as to what they were doing.

"Ah, you're about to meet someone important," Mizuki told the model. "You see, this is the—"

Just then, the door opened, revealing Katsuragi, who was waiting for his team's arrival with the client.

"Hello, Miss Sakurai," the tall bodyguard greeted the sky blue-haired girl. "My name is Daichi Katsuragi, and I am the Chief of the National Police Guard Security Division. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am sure you are confused about the situation, but we will explain it to you soon enough."

Kasumi walked inside the room and nodded. "It's nice to meet you as well, Katsuragi-san. Umm…"

"Yes?" Daichi inquired. "Feel free to ask us whatever you would like to have answered. We are here to assist you in any way possible."

"Um…" Kasumi wasn't quite sure what to say with the older man. But then, something—or rather, some_one_—caught her attention. "There's someone standing right behind you. Who is that?"

"Oh, excuse me." Katsuragi realized who the sky blue-haired girl was talking about and moved aside. "Allow me to introduce you, Miss Sakurai. This is the Prime Minister of Japan, Ryuuichiro Hiraizumi. We have brought you here today to meet him."

Kasumi's eyes slightly widened. "Huh?" Then, she placed her right hand near the side of her chin, as if thinking deeply about the same she had just heard. "I'm sure I've heard that name before, but I've never seen the prime minister's face before until now."

"What?!" Kaiji blurted out. "You've never seen what the prime minister looks like until now?!"

"Wow," Sora said in awe, "this is something almost unheard of."

Subaru let out a disappointed sigh. "Well, I guess the people in Ikebukuro don't really know about the prime minister."

"Subaru, mind your tongue," Mizuki advised. "We're in front of the prime minister himself and the chief is here, as well."

"Well said, Mizuki," Daichi praised. "We should give the two of them some privacy while we're here." He turned toward Hiraizumi and bowed. "Then, if you'll excuse us. We will be waiting for further instructions in the break room, Prime Minister."

Just as the bodyguards were about to leave, something unexpected happened.

"Wait!" Kasumi turned around and pleaded. "Can't you all stay here with us?"

The prime minister's eyes widened. "Kasumi?"

"I…" the model trailed off. "I still don't know why I'm here. I know there has to be a reason for this, and you haven't explained what's going on yet, but I'm not sure if I can just speak with the prime minister by myself. Right now, I'm uncertain whether everything will actually be fine if I stay here without knowing what's going on, or why you came to find me. That's why… I want to know. I also don't feel that I'm ready to have a conversation with someone who's as important as Prime Minister Hiraizumi until I can be at ease with the way things are."

"I understand," the older bodyguard complied. He gave her a reassuring smile, which was gentle, despite his usual stern stature. "As you wish, we will be here to answer your questions, Miss Sakurai."

_They haven't explained the situation to me, yet…_

Kasumi was now sitting right across from Prime Minister Hiraizumi. She could feel a sense of anxiousness welling up inside her as she looked at the most important man in all of Japan. He didn't seem to be a bad guy, but it was still an incredible moment to even be near the prime minister, not to mention that she had the chance to meet him.

_How exactly did I get myself into this situation…? I can't even speak to him at all…! This is so nerve-wracking! And yet… I don't feel any malicious intent from anyone here. Why is that…?_

"Pardon me for saying this," Hiraizumi began. "I know you aren't here because you want to be, but… There is something I must confirm with you first, Kasumi." The prime minister glanced down before confronting the girl known as Kasumi Sakurai once more. "There's a chance that I may be your father, but the possibility of that being true lies with you, and you only. That is why, I must ask this of you: Are you my daughter, Kasumi?"

Kasumi's eyes widened in realization as to why she was brought to the prime minister's residence in the first place. Then, she faced Ryuuichiro and smiled. "I see. So this is what it was about." She let out a light laugh with her right hand near the side of her mouth, and continued. "I'm really sorry to say this, but I already have a father. He's a professor at Sakurai College in Ikebukuro. Both of my parents are currently living in Ikebukuro, and I have other family members residing there, as well. I'm sorry that I'm not actually your daughter, though, Prime Minister. I didn't expect anyone else would think I was someone else's child. I mean, I've been living in Ikebukuro for almost all of my life."

"I should apologize as well for getting you involved, Kasumi," Ryuuichiro smiled softly. It was a bit saddening, but he was relieved at the same time. "You see, the reason why I thought you may have been my daughter was because you resembled the woman I once loved when I was around your age. When I think about it now, I might have been thinking of the impossible this who time. I never went out with her, but she was indeed the only woman in the world at the time to capture my heart. I had a friend who was also in love with her, and they seemed like a fitting match for each other, so I gave up on trying to court her. Perhaps they might have gotten married after graduation. I still don't know where they are now, but when I saw you for the first time, I felt as if you could've been the daughter I would have liked to have with her. I'm sorry to have put you through so much trouble, Kasumi. Thank you for letting me meet you."

"No, it's alright," the sky blue-haired girl reassured the prime minister. "I never knew you loved someone with a similar appearance. I'm glad to have met you as well, Prime Minister Hiraizumi."

"Thank you." Tears had formed on the prime minister's face when he heard those words.

"There is something else I should tell you all first," Kasumi mentioned as she stood up from her seat.

"Ah, before that…" Mizuki interrupted. "There's something I need to ask you, Miss Sakurai. It's about Ikebukuro. I believe you have the answers to the questions I'm about to ask you. If you don't mind, I would like you to cooperate with me on this."

Kasumi blinked. "Is that so? I'm not very busy, anyway, so I'll hear you out on this. But… what exactly do you wish to know?"

"Well…" the silver-haired bodyguard glanced at his chief. "If it's alright with you, Chief, I'd like everyone in the room to listen to what I have to say, including the prime minister."

Katsuragi returned that same glance and nodded. "I believe this must be a very important matter since you brought it up. You did mention something about this before." Then, he took a look at Prime Minister Hiraizumi. "Sir, if I may ask you to stay here with us for now, would it be alright for you to stay and listen to this matter."

"It's rare of you to ask this of me, Katsuragi," the prime minister stated. "However, I will do as you wish. My schedule has been cleared for the rest of the day, so I can only be here until tomorrow."

"There you have it, Mizuki," Daichi smiled approvingly. "Now, it is up to you and Miss Sakurai to deal with this matter."

"Right." Mizuki nodded, then he glanced at Kasumi. "I have research as much as I could about Ikebukuro. However, I could not find any more on it other than the last time an article was published about the city. For some reason, all of the original inhabitants living there had moved out on May 29, 2010, two days before the end of the month that same year. What exactly could have happened for them to move out? I had been thinking about this since the day I read that article. It striked me as an odd matter due to the fact that something like this had ever occurred. In fact, Ikebukuro itself seems to be a forgotten city, but not completely, since it seems that its dangerous reputation is still known around these parts of Tokyo. Why is that? Miss Sakurai, could you please tell me why the residents of Ikebukuro had moved out on that very day? Your answer to this may explain why Ikebukuro is the way it is now, and why not many people outside the city have gone there."

Kasumi sat back down and looked directly into the silver-haired bodyguard's eyes. "Ah, that. It all dates back to May 27, 2010, two days before the rest of the population had moved out of town." The sky blue-haired girl turned her head to her right a bit before looking back. "On that very day, Ikebukuro had finally found peace. Everyone else could feel that the need to fight amongst one another was no longer needed to keep the city going. Thus, they decided to move away. Some have moved to other places in Japan, while others had moved to foreign countries. Ikebukuro was a city that did not wish for violence, but peace. Twenty-four years before that, a hero was born."

"Hero?" Mizuki questioned.

"So because this 'hero' was born, things began to change?" Kaiji asked.

Subaru shook his head. "Wait, wait, wait. Before you answer those two, what do you mean when you said that Ikebukuro 'finally found peace?' That just doesn't make any sense when you think about it. The city was rambunctious in the first place, so why would it find peace?"

Kasumi glanced at her fiancé and sighed at his conceited nature. "It seems I will have to explain even further on this matter. Since you want to know Ikebukuro could had experience such a sensation in the first place, Subaru, I'll tell you something about that." She saw Mizuki's expression and continued. "Ikebukuro was able to find peace because the hero I mentioned." She took a look at Kaiji and smiled. "It wasn't because of his birth that Ikebukuro was able to calm down. That was just the start of it all. He had to find his own happiness, which was something that was to be tested, in order to save the universe."

"?" Sora blinked. "The universe?"

"Let me explain," Kasumi replied. "That hero is a very important person. He was also known as the Strongest Man in Ikebukuro, and he is also the savior of the world I came from. If he had done what he did, none of us would actually be here. That's why he is one of the most important people to us."

"What?!" Kaiji shouted in a flabbergasted manner.

Sora looked just as shocked. "Shizuo Heiwajima…"

"…is Ikebukuro's savior?!" Subaru finished.

"Not only that," Kasumi told the group. A soft smile formed on her face as she continued explaining. "He is the hero of the world of magicians and also the other worlds as well."

"Huh…?" Sora blinked. "Did I just hear that right…?"

"That's right," Kasumi confirmed. "I wanted to tell you yesterday, Sora. But I couldn't find a right time to do so. I even tried to tell you all today, but Mizuki had asked me about Ikebukuro before I could do that. I was going to tell you that I'm a magician."

"WHAT?!"

The whole bodyguard team, excluding Daichi, were in total shock. They had not expect to heard the word "magician" come out of the top model's mouth.

"So I see!" Prime Minister Hiraizumi smiled.

"Prime minister?!" Mizuki's eyes widened at seeing such a normal reaction from the most important man in Japan.

"So that's what it was all about!" Ryuuichiro exclaimed. He could not be any happier than he already was. "I had not expect to meet another magician in so long! Hearing you say that reminds me of my college days, Kasumi."

"Uh, what's he talking about?" Kaiji whispered to the chief.

Katsuragi glanced at the spiky-haired bodyguard. "The prime minister attended college in Ikebukuro after graduating from high school. That is where he met his friend, as well as the woman he fell in love with years ago. Ikebukuro is currently filled with magicians from Miss Sakurai's world, so it wouldn't be much of a surprise that she is one, too."

"You knew this?!" Sora shouted. "Why didn't you tell us, Chief?!"

"Hmm?" Daichi glanced at the copper-haired bodyguard. "I thought you all knew about the existence of magicians. They've been around before our planet was even created. Also, didn't you hear what Miss Sakurai said earlier? She was going to tell you, but could not, due to certain circumstances."

"I never knew this, either," Subaru pointed out. "None of her family members that I've met had ever mentioned it.

"Well, I better get back soon," Kasumi said. "My family's going to be worried if I'm not home soon."

Ryuuichiro smiled back. "I see. Have a nice trip back home, Kasumi. It was certainly nice to meet you."

"Thank you. I hope you have a nice evening, Prime Minister Hiraizumi." Kasumi glanced at Sora and smiled. She raised her hand and waved at him, giving off yet another eye smile.

Sora smiled back and returned the wave with his own. "I didn't really think magicians existed until now, but Kasumi seems to be the proof we needed to open our eyes."

"She seems to really like you, Sora," Mizuki noted.

"You're pretty lucky to have gotten your hands on a top model," Kaiji grinned.

Subaru had a solemn expression on his face. "You better take her home today. It's been some time since we brought her here, so I bet she's exhausted from all of this."

"Are you sure about that, Mr. Elite?" Sora asked in a teasing tone of voice. "She's your fiancée, you know. I might as well steal her from you since it's not like you've decided on a wedding date, so she could break off the engagement any time now."

"Don't push your luck, Sora," Subaru retorted tiredly. "Hurry up and go before I shove my fist down your throat."

"Subaru, you shouldn't take your anger out on Sora," Mizuki told the brunet. "Remember what I said earlier? Change—"

"—and be the person I want to be," Subaru finished for the silver-haired bodyguard. "I know, I know. Stop reminding me, Mizuki. I've had a long day."

"I think Sora's had a longer one than you." Mizuki replied. He turned towards the copper-haired bodyguard and smiled. "Go on, Sora. We'll take over things right now."

Sora nodded. "Thanks, Mizuki." He walked over to Kasumi and held out his right hand. "Let's go, Kasumi. I'll take you back to Ikebukuro."

Kasumi smiled softly and took hold of the hand in front of her. "I was really surprised to see you in front of the agency when I came out, Sora. But at the same time, I was also happy."

"I was surprised myself," Sora told the sky blue-haired girl. "When I found out you were our client, I wasn't sure what to do. But as long as you were safe, that was all that mattered to me."

Kasumi nodded. "Even though things turned out this way, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe it's because you're here with me, Sora."

Sora placed his free hand on the model's head and smiled softly. "Don't worry. It'll be okay. I'll even make sure to pick you up tomorrow."

With their hands now entwined, the two of them walked out the door and made their way to Ikebukuro. Subaru, on the other hand, felt a twinge of jealousy and pain swelling up inside his chest as he saw the two of them and smiled grimly.

"…"

"Now, let's work on changing your personality, shall we?" Mizuki suggested cheerfully.

Kaiji smirked. "Hey, Mizuki. Can I help with that? I'd like to know more about what's going on with Subaru."

"Sure thing," the silver-haired bodyguard approved. "I'll fill you in on the details, so let's get started."

"Hey! Don't touch me!" the brunet complained. He could feel Mizuki and Kaiji's hands grab his wrists, and was struggling not to get dragged away by the two of them. "I'm not in a good mood right now, okay?!"

Mizuki pouted. "Aww! Don't be that way, Subaru!"

"Yeah!" Kaiji agreed. "We're trying to help you, Subaru, so don't complain about something like this. It's just practice, anyway."

Subaru's eyes widened with a bit of anger raging within him. "I told you both that I don't want to do this! How many times do I have to tell you that?!"

Kasumi opened the door to her apartment and stepped inside. Then, she closed the door behind her. "I'm back, Hotaru!"

"Welcome back, Kasumi," a girl with dark blue hair that was tied up in a ponytail greeted as she walked towards the model. "Where were you? I was waiting for hours for you to come back."

"Sorry," Kasumi apologized. "I had to do something." Kasumi took off her shoes at the entranceway. Then, she walked into the kitchen, which was on her right at the time. "I'll prepare dinner today to make up for being late, okay?"

Hotaru frowned. "No, that's fine. You don't have to." She went over to the door and locked it.

"Don't worry about it," the sky blue-haired girl insisted. "Besides, I didn't really get to eat much today at work, so I'll get started right away." She took out a few eggs and glanced at Hotaru. "Is tamagoyaki okay?"

The dark blue-haired girl nodded. "Un. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Sorry, I just really want to do this for you," Kasumi told the older girl. "There's also the fact that you work harder than I do, so I wanted to be able to do something since we're family."

"Jaa, I'll get the bath ready after we're done eating." She wasn't smiling but she felt a sense of gratitude inside.

After the two of them ate dinner together, took a bath, and brushed their teeth, Kasumi and Hotaru were in the bedroom. Hotaru now had her long hair let down and was holding a bass guitar in her arms. She was sitting with her legs spread out on her bed, which was on the right side of the room, and was more focused on playing her guitar. Kasumi, on the other hand, was putting away a set of books, organizing them on the shelf above her bed, which was facing to the side. Shortly after that, she finished organizing the books and sat on her own bed.

She glanced at Hotaru and smiled lightly. "You sure love your guitar. I bet Shun-san's happy to have a daughter who can play an instrument well."

"I just play the bass guitar, though," the dark blue-haired girl replied. "Even though I can play the electric guitar well, I like the bass guitar better." She kept looking at her guitar as if it were the most important thing in the world to her. Then, she looked up and glanced at Kasumi as she stopped playing. "Anyway, did you go off somewhere after work? When I visited your agency, someone told me you had already left. I even called your cell phone, but you didn't answer. Did you go on a date with someone?"

Kasumi placed her hand near the back of her shoulder. "It wasn't really a date. It was more of a meeting. One of my friends and Subaru came to pick me up after work, so I didn't really get to tell you." She took out her cell phone and checked the phone record. "Uwaa! You really did call me. And fifty times, too." She looked at the dark blue-haired girl and smiled nervously with her phone still in her hand. "Sorry, I fell asleep on the way to my friend and Subaru's workplace. I forgot to check my cell when I woke up, so…" She relaxed a bit. "Sorry. I didn't tell you about this, and I know you were really worried, but the next time something comes up, I'll tell you about it."

Hotaru nodded, understanding the situation. "I know you wouldn't really go off somewhere without tell one of us. But if something were to happen to you, Kasumi, I don't know what I'd do. We're family, so it's only natural for us to worry about each other, no matter how far apart we are. That's why… I think about you and everyone else more than my guitar. Even though it's also precious to me, it doesn't have the qualities of a family. People are more important than object, so I wouldn't think twice about giving up my guitar for you if you were in danger."

"Hotaru…" Kasumi smiled. "…Arigatou."

"Maa, that's how it is," Hotaru responded nonchalantly before putting away her guitar.

The next day, Kasumi was in the park in Ikebukuro. Under the cherry blossom trees, it was a sight to behold. All of the trees had bloomed quite early during the year that anyone outside of Ikebukuro would hardly believe such a thing was possible. However, it wasn't impossible; it was an amazing feat that was rare anywhere outside the city. And there was something special about the cherry blossoms in Ikebukuro that made those who saw them feel a sense of admiration and happiness.

Moments later, a familiar person's footsteps came closer as Kasumi viewed the sight in front of her.

"Ready to go?" It was Sora. He had come to pick the sky blue-haired girl as he had promised the day before. The gentle and kind smile on his face was enough to move any girl's heart.

Kasumi turned around and smiled back. "Yeah. I'm ready."

Sora held his hand out, and Kasumi gently took hold of it with her left. Holding hands once more, the walked to the prime minister's residence as a new mission began.


	3. Episode 3

Moving in with a Sense of Trust

At the prime minister's residence, Kasumi, Sora, and the other bodyguards were in a different from the day before. The room had a more comfortable sensation than being in the prime minister's office. In fact, it wasn't just the "feel" of the room, but also the furniture, and its texture, that made the room seem as if they were enjoying tea in a foreign country.

"Then, Miss Sakurai," Daichi began, "we will allow you choose a bodyguard of your choice as part of your security. Since you are in danger, we must guard over you twenty-four hours a day until your guard is over. I know this may be uncomfortable at first, but we are here to ensure your safety. It was partially my fault that the assumptions a few members of the investigation team and I made about you were leaked. Although it is too late to take that back, I hope you can find it in your heart to bear with us until we can finally free you of this matter."

Kasumi gave a slight bow with her head. "Oh, it's not really something you should get worked up about, Katsuragi-san. I just never thought Prime Minister Hiraizumi would mistake me for being his daughter, that's all. So it's really no trouble at all. I can at least endure something like this. It's not like I'm being asked to participate in a war or anything, so don't worry about a thing."

_Although I believe Prime Minister Hiraizumi must have been too infatuated with his first love, it's not like it was his intention for believing I could be his daughter, right? _Kasumi thought. _After all, I must have really looked like her if I was able to capture his attention through my modeling photos. But it's still a major problem! I had to tell Hotaru that I was going to stay at a friend's place, but my relationship with Sora isn't exactly that of a friend's… right?! I mean, I've already fallen for him, but we aren't actually going out or anything. I have to separate my private life and my job, and the same goes for him. How did I get myself into this situation?!_

"That's good," Mizuki commented. "But it won't be easy to carry out this mission to protect you, Miss Sakurai. I think we may have to ask for you to cooperate with us if the enemy uses combat abilities. They may attack you out of nowhere and if their strength is able to overcome outs, it could prove to be a difficult task to protect you."

"That leaves us with another problem," Subaru grimaced. "Should we lose any of our team members, they could turn the tables around and use our casualties and weaknesses to their advantage. We've never had a magician or any non-human beings as our client before, so you're the first. What we do from here on out may affect this mission, and how we can effectively guard you will be tested. Believe it or not, all of us have dedicated ourselves in order to protect you. That is a bodyguard's job, after all."

Kasumi sweat-dropped in slight irritation. "Maa, I'll have to pitch in and use my powers every once in a while if something comes up. I need to tell you this, though: As a magician, magic is very important to sustaining my life. If I use an excessive amount of it, I'll have to go back to my world to recover since being in Ikebukuro won't be enough for me to make a full comeback. If I exceed my limit, I'll die. When a magician dies, there's no way to help them, as there is no strength left to keep their body from fading away."

"Fading away?" Sora asked unknowingly. "Is there really nothing we can do if you die, Kasumi?"

"That's right," the sky blue-haired girl confirmed. She seemed sad about it. "If I were to describe it, a magician's death is a beautiful, yet saddening thing to see and experience. It's one of the things you might not want to witness if you don't want to be left with regret sometimes. That's why… I have to keep living. There's also something I want to do before I die."

"What exactly is that?" Mizuki inquired. "If there is something we can help you with, I'm sure there is a way we can accomplish that for your sake. We _are_ your bodyguards, after all."

Kaiji nodded. "You _did_ get involved because of us, so we'll find a way to make up for it. We'll make sure to protect you at all costs; we're going to put our lives at risk since it's our job as bodyguards."

"Yeah," Sora agreed. "We'll protect you with our lives, so you don't have to worry about a thing, Kasumi. No matter what happens, we'll keep you safe from now on."

"With your life…?" Kasumi couldn't help but stare deeply at Sora. It was as if something had touched her heart, and it made her somewhat depressed when she thought about it. "Are you sure about that?"

Sora blinked. "Huh? What do you mean? It's my job as a bodyguard, so I'll put my own life at risk for any of my clients."

"It's just that… The idea of you all doing this for one person…" Kasumi trailed off. Her eyes seemed distant for a bit before she looked at him again. "Can you really not say that you'll leave this world without regrets if the worse-case scenario _does_ occur?" She looked away, as if trying to sort out her thoughts. "I know your job is important to you, but I do care for you all, despite the circumstances of this situation. Rather than bodyguards, I see you all as human beings."

Hearing those words from the model, the bodyguards couldn't help but smile at the client. She was indeed a rare one—probably the rarest of all of the previous clients they had. No one had ever told them that until now, and it was something that had both surprised and moved their hearts at the same time. A sense of gratitude had formed as they looked at the sky blue-haired girl.

"Thank you," Daichi said appreciatively. He felt a soft feeling growing towards the girl sitting in the room.

"I didn't really do anything." Kasumi glanced at Katsuragi. "But about what you said earlier…"

Sora blinked. "Hmm? What?"

"Katsuragi-san mentioned something about having one of you guys watch over me until the case is solved," the model brought up. "It's fine if I pick who I want as my bodyguard right now, right?"

Katsuragi nodded. "Of course. Our clients are free to choose whoever they like as their bodyguard. It's only natural since we are here to make things comfortable during your guard. You may choose whoever you would like to protect you, Miss Sakurai."

"Twenty-four hours a day, huh…" Kasumi mused.

She thought about what it would be like with each of the bodyguards keeping an eye on her during each and every day she would be guarded.

_If Subaru were guarding me, it'd be a disaster. He'd ask me where I would want to go, and act more like a gentleman just because he's my fiancé. I can't let that happen!_

She glanced at Sora and as soon as the copper-haired bodyguard caught her glance, she looked away for a bit.

_Sora's… Er… I'd consider him to be the best choice out of all of them. Mizuki on the other hand… Well, it'd be as if one of my friends were guarding me. He was part of the entertainment industry, and he was an idol. I'm a model, but he's not someone I had met until yesterday afternoon. Even though we're both famous, he and I have gone through working different careers. I can't just pick him because of his former occupation. That leaves the guy with the spiky hair._

"…" Kasumi frowned and shook her head.

_Definitely not someone I would choose as my bodyguard, _she thought. _He's more on the 'tough' side. I bet he also does martial arts. He has that look that gives you a feeling he's more of a fighter, anyway._

"Miss Sakurai?" Katsuragi blinked. He was entering a confused state.

Kasumi sighed with her eyes closed. Then, she opened her eyes wearily.

_Guess my mind's already made the choice for me._

"Miss Sakurai, are you alright?" Daichi asked once more out a bizarre concern for the girl.

Kasumi glanced at the chief and blinked a few times. "Don't worry, Katsuragi-san." She gave him a smile as if nothing was wrong. "I'm fine, really. Anyway, about my bodyguard. I've already decided who I want to protect me."

"Oh?" Katsuragi smiled. "Now, who would it be?"

"Sora." Kasumi kept smiling enthusiastically as she answered. "I want Sora to guard me. I think it'd be easier to have him around."

The older bodyguard smiled approvingly. "Well, then. As of today, Sora will be Miss Sakurai's bodyguard."

"Hold on." Subaru frowned unpleasantly. "Are you really sure about this?"

Mizuki blink. "? What's the problem?"

"Yeah," Kaiji said, folding his arms against his chest. "Sora can handle this, Subaru. It should be fine."

"That's not it," the brunet objected. He then turned towards his chief. "Mr. Katsuragi, this is Sora we're talking about. You know how he is, so can you really trust him on guarding Kasumi twenty-four hours a day? This is a matter to take seriously, and it's on a larger scale than when we were guarding out previous clients. If something gets out of hand, _you_ need to take secure actions in letting someone protect her. She's not just an ordinary client; she's a _magician_. We can't let our enemy harm her in any way. Furthermore, she'll have to recharge her powers every now in then if she uses them. What is she pushes past her limit and dies? How are we going to explain that to her family if she _does_ end up dying?"

Daichi places a hand on the back of his neck and sighed. "…You do have a point, Subaru. However…" He looked at the elite bodyguard firmly. "Miss Sakurai chose Sora as her bodyguard, and I cannot object to that. It was because of my mistake that she ended up being here in the place. I am putting my faith in her decision and I will allow her to do as she pleases. Subaru, you have to remember. She is our client. We cannot completely restrict her movements as she is still a human being on the inside. If we do something to affect her normal state, it could cause more problems when Sora is guarding her. I believe the decision to choose Sora as her bodyguard may actually be the right choice. I do not doubt that he will protect her safely and carry out his duty as part of our team."

"Chief…" Sora looked at Daichi with utmost respect. With a casual smile, he added, "Don't worry. I'll protect Kasumi. I'm her bodyguard, after all."

Mizuki nodded. "That's right. I'm sure Sora can do this without fail. He _is_ a part of our team, and he's worked harder than anyone to get here."

"True, he does have more experience than us right after the chief," Kaiji grinned triumphantly. "And I do have to admit that despite his personality, Sora can actually get it done. Although," the spiky-haired bodyguard suddenly had a sly expression etch onto his face, "he's not always the most reliable person in our group."

Sora's thankful expression towards the spiky-haired bodyguard immediately turned into petty anger. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?! I'll have you know—"

"Well, even though he might not be the most dependable person on our team, he's still someone we can respect at times," Kaiji continued, cutting the copper-haired bodyguard off. He turned towards Kasumi and bowed deeply. "I hope you can take care of him as much as he's done for us."

"Kaiji…" At that moment, Sora felt grateful when he heard those words. A few seconds ago, he was fuming at his junior. But now, he was happy just knowing how much his team member thought of him.

_Why can't you just say something like, 'Best regards to you, Sora,' or, 'Thanks for your hard work'? _he thought with a smile spreading across his face.

Kasumi stared at Kaiji's composure and saw his sincerity through his actions. She couldn't help but smile amiably at him. "I understand," she responded, acknowledging the former's actions towards the copper-haired young man. "I'll take care of Sora until the end of guard, so you don't have to worry about a thing."

"Guess it can't be helped," Subaru sighed. "If that's how it is, I'll have to give up on the matter." He glanced at Sora. "Make sure you protect her like you're supposed to. Otherwise, I'll have to step in and take over your role."

"You don't have to worry about that," Sora reassured the brunet. "I'll make sure she's safe at all times."

Subaru nodded approvingly. "Good. Just don't screw up. She may be a magician, but she's also important to me. Since we're engaged, we're set to get married anytime in the future."

"Don't expect to have a ceremony with me anytime soon," Kasumi retorted. "I _am_ your client, after all. Whether we get married or not after this depends on both our families' decisions. I am not entitled to choose to accept any further advancements concerning this engagement of ours. Things can still change over time, Subaru. So don't think you're the only one who can convince your family about this."

Subaru sighed at his fiancée's riposte. "Such a difficult woman, aren't you? Well, I'm certain you'll learn to accept this when we _do_ get married."

"Ahem." Katsuragi cleared his throat. "Anyway, we should find a reasonable place for Miss Sakurai to stay at while Sora's protecting her. She can't stay in Ikebukuro at the moment since someone is after her, so we must think of what to do until this mission is over."

Mizuki smiled enjoyably. "In that case, why don't we have her stay at a hotel with Sora? It might liven things up a bit, _and_ it'll add a bit of comfort, as well."

"But what if the enemy tracks them at the hotel?" Kaiji asked. His expression was stern and completely serious at that very moment. "If something happens to them there, it could be worst since we're supposed to find a way to protect them, not get them into further danger."

"You're right," Subaru agreed tiredly. "We have to take precaution on this part. In order to protect our client, we can't just let the enemy find Kasumi. Sora would have to report to us as soon as possible to let us know the situation they're in at all costs. At any rate, we won't always be able to get to them if danger ensures."

Daichi thought for a moment. "A place with good security might be the only place then, if all else fails. Perhaps they won't be able to break in so easily if we can do something about it."

"Then," Sora winked, "what about my place? Kasumi could stay there for the time being, and I don't mind if she's there until the end of her guard."

Mizuki's eyes widened. "_Your_ place, Sora?"

"It has a great security system, so intruders won't be able to come in if they look for Kasumi," the copper-haired bodyguard mentioned. "Just so you know, it'll be harder for our enemy to get to her since the chance of them suspecting anything is pretty slim at the moment. Plus, we were able to take care of any way for them to eavesdrop on us after the incident a few days ago. This might be a good way to guard Kasumi, Chief."

Kaiji grinned, having comprehended the meaning of Sora's words. "You know… It might not be such a bad idea."

"I agree," Mizuki nodded. "This is actually an easier way for us to help protect Miss Sakurai without having to go through much trouble like when we were dealing with our previous clients. It was more difficult sometimes since we had other politicians to guard." The silver-haired bodyguard smiled gleefully, getting caught up in the conversation. "There was even this one time when—"

"Ahem." Katsuragi cleared his throat. "Mizuki, you're getting off topic. This is a serious matter in which we cannot speak of our previous missions. We must not waste any more time on this as we've already had."

Mizuki nodded. "I apologize for my behavior, Chief."

"Very well," Daichi continued. "As with before, seeing Miss Sakurai will have to reside somewhere outside of Ikebukuro, we will have to find a way to monitor her elsewhere. Of course, we had a couple of suggestions just now. I believe it may be safer if we have her stay with Sora. He _has_ made a strong argument about it. With Sora's personality and frequency to be around Miss Sakurai for the time being, perhaps the enemy won't be able to suspect that she is staying with a bodyguard."

Subaru smiled in an acknowledging manner. "Well, I can't say that it's the best place for any of our clients to be, but it'll at least do for now."

"No way," Sora said, surprised. "Subaru just agreed to it?!"

Kaiji nodded, returning to the fixed expression he normally had at times like these. "Looks like it." He turned towards the copper-haired bodyguard. "Anyway, good luck, Sora. I know this won't be an easy mission to finish, so do whatever you can to pull through this."

"Thanks, Kaiji," Sora smiled casually.

Then, he thought to himself, pondering about the situation he was currently in.

_So this is it, huh? Our relationship as a bodyguard and client starts right now. Nothing more, nothing less. That's how it should've been from the start, if I hadn't had the day off the day everyone else was gathering information on Kasumi. Well, _he smiled wryly, _it doesn't matter now. My mission is to protect my client, and that's basically it. I'll keep my mind focused on this no matter what—until the end of her guard._

Shortly afterward, Kasumi stood up. "Then, I'll have to tell you all this before I go." She looked down with a solemn expression on her face. "It's something that I've been thinking about for a long time, and only those residing in Ikebukuro, along with other magicians from my world know about this."

"What is it?" Katsuragi inquired attentively. "If there is something troubling you, Miss Sakurai, we are all to be here to hear you out on any matter it may be."

Without a word, Kasumi looked up and stared intently at the group of bodyguards in front of her. "My real name isn't Kasumi Sakurai. That's just the name I use for my job. In fact, I've been covering up my last name for as long as I can remember now, and it all dates back sometime before I got engaged to Subaru."

"You mean your actual surname isn't Sakurai?" Sora asked as his eyes widened in shock.

Kasumi nodded. "That's right. I took that name after my one of my ancestors because I had to."

"And who exactly told you to use that name?" Subaru asked. "If it's something I should know—"

"Now, let her finish, Subaru," Mizuki said to his fellow teammate. "I'm sure she's had to go through things far worse than what you've had to. And don't forget what I told you yesterday."

"Yeah, yeah," the brunet complained. "I know what to do. Don't tell me what I already know, Mizuki. It's harder to do than you think."

Kasumi took a breath and exhaled. "All I can tell you at this moment is that my grandfather instructed me to do so. It is something I cannot reveal to you, or anyone else for that matter. Anyway, I still have things to settle after this is over. I can't always visit the prime minister's residence all the time if someone wants me to."

"Tch." Subaru's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He wasn't exactly excited about hearing those words from his fiancée, but what could he do about it? It wasn't every day that he had to see her face-to-face, but now, it was becoming something like that.

"So, what's your last name?" Kaiji asked elatedly. He was very interested to hear what the model had to say.

Kasumi paused for a few seconds before continuing. "It's Sakakibara. My actual name is Kasumi Sakakibara, not Kasumi Sakurai. Please remember that. Anyway, I'll be in your care, so…" She glanced at the five men in front of her and lightly bowed with her head. "Please continue to look after me until the end of this mission." She looked up nonchalantly just as Hotaru did before smiling. "I look forward to cooperating with you."

"So do we," Katsuragi smiled back. "My team and I are glad to be of service, Sakakibara-san."

"Also, Mizuki?" Kasumi turned towards the silver-haired bodyguard.

Mizuki tilted his head to the side. "Yes?"

"You don't have to call me by my last name," the sky blue-haired girl recommended. "'Kasumi' is fine."

Mizuki glanced at the floor for a brief second, then back at the model. "Yes, I'll keep that in mind from now on."

Sora opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside, taking his shoes off as soon as he got in. "I'm back."

"Pardon the intrusion," Kasumi said. She took off her shoes and closed the door, locking it shortly afterward. She took a glance around, taking in the sight of her bodyguard's home.

_So this is what Sora's apartment looks like from the inside, _she thought.

"Anyway, welcome to my home," Sora winked. "You can think of it as your own house, Kasumi. There's not much, but it's a good place to relax or stop by anytime you want."

Kasumi nodded. "Un." She walked around and inspected the rooms, even opening the doors without Sora's permission as she scanned the area around her. "Hey, Sora."

"Hmm?" the copper-haired bodyguard smiled calmly. "What is it?"

"Do you think we can clean up a bit before the end of the day?" the sky blue-haired girl asked, looking at the bedroom.

As the sun was setting, Hotaru walked around Ikebukuro. She had just gotten off work and was with some of her friends.

"Hnn…" She stared down, somewhat at the ground as she continued her stroll.

One of the guys with her blinked. "? What's wrong, Hotaru?" He had reddish hair that was like a mix of a carmine red and dark shade of maroon. His eyes were bright, ruby-colored eyes, which were like the crimson flames that attracted a girl's heart towards him.

The dark blue-haired girl shook her head. "It's nothing."

"That doesn't seem like 'nothing' to me," a dark green-haired guy countered. He wore a pair of black white glasses, and had bittersweet orange eyes. He also wore a suit and had a young entrepreneur appearance to top it all off. "Did something happen lately?"

Although it was faint, Hotaru had given a nod. "Un. Kasumi won't be around for a while, so I'm worried about her. She said that she'll be fine, but I don't know where she went."

The dark green-haired bachelor thought about it. "Mm… Maybe she went to live in Shibuya or Shinjuku. Could be that she's decided to go to Ginza or maybe even Shizuoka."

"Or, she might have gotten it on with a guy," the redhead snickered mischievously. "Who knows? Misty's probably gotten a boyfriend by now."

Hotaru's eyes narrowed in an irritated fashion. "…" Her frown was even worse. "Can it, Arata."

"What? I'm only telling my side to it," Arata retorted. "Besides, it was just a joke, you know."

The dark green-haired fellow smiled and closed his eyes simultaneously. "Well, it might not be a bad thing if it really happened. My parents were like that a long time ago."

"Un. Un." Arata nodded. "Even _my_ parents had something like that when they were in love with each other. Maybe yours didn't except to reproduce, Hotaru. You _are_ at a further generation than us. We're much older than you. As for Hibiki over here, he's on a whole different level since he's a little rascal who's just like his uncle. _And_," Arata's eyes were heating up in envy as he added, "he's younger than me, too."

A girl with telemagenta-colored hair sweat-dropped as she glanced from the side. She closed her eyes happily and said, "But it can't be helped, Arata-kun. You were conceived before Hibiki-kun was. It's not possible for you to change the past just because he's younger than you."

"I know that, Ran," Arata replied. "Not like I can help it, though. It's just like with our parents. I'm older than Hibiki is by a few months, which parallels perfectly…!"

Hotaru's eyes moved to her left. "Che. Not that it matters, anyway. You're older, so you have to be more of a role model."

"Yeah, yeah," Arata grumbled.

Hibiki laughed. "Aha. That's our Hotaru for you. Biting back at the elders as always."

That evening, Kasumi and Sora were eating dinner together after cleaning the former's apartment. The meal on the small table was a sight that amazed copper-haired young man.

"Wow! This looks great!" Sora exclaimed. He had not seen such a wondrous set of food in a while.

Kasumi glanced at Sora and smiled delightedly. "I'm glad I could prepare this for you, Sora. Since I'm gonna be under your protection for a while, I thought I'd do something to show my appreciation."

"Then, let's dig in (itadakimasu/いただきます)!" Sora smiled cheerfully as he started eating.

Kasumi smiled back. "Itadakimasu!"

Sora's eyes flew open after the first few bites. He almost dropped his chopsticks in surprise. "Whoa! This is really delicious!"

"Thank you," Kasumi thanked the copper-haired bodyguard. "I'm happy to hear that it suits your tastes, Sora." She kept eating and was nearly half finished with her portion.

The sight of the sky blue-haired girl eating at a faster pace than him made Sora smile once more. "Guess you've been hungry for a while now, huh?"

"Yeah. I only had some leftovers from last night," the model told her bodyguard. "She stopped eating and glanced at Sora. "What about you, Sora? Did you have enough to eat this morning?"

"Actually, there are times when I forget to eat," Sora explained. "Most of the time, I'm too focused on my job to eat anything. This can happen for about two to three days at most. Sometimes, the Chief will treat everyone on the team. I haven't eaten a homemade meal in a few months now."

Kasumi put her chopsticks down. "Then… I'll make sure you have something to eat until this mission is over."

"Are you sure about that?" Sora asked, a bit puzzled by the sky blue-haired girl's suggestion. "I mean, you don't have to, but…"

Kasumi smiled and picked up her chopsticks. "Of course! You need your strength to get through the day, even if it's just a little." She continued eating for a few seconds and finished. "Thanks for the food." Then, she looked at Sora and gave him a reassuring smile. "From now on, I'll make sure to take care of you, so you don't have to worry about it."

A few hours later…

Kasumi was sitting on Sora's bed with her legs in front of her and seemed to be lost in thought with a sad expression on her face. It was as she was thinking about something very important at the moment. Soon, Sora came in.

"Thinking about something?" he asked.

At the sound of the copper-haired young man's voice, Kasumi looked up and noticed him standing near the bed. She nodded slowly. "Un. Can you stay here and listen for a bit?"

"Sure thing," Sora replied. He took a seat next to her and had his legs sprawled out right in front of him. "So, what's on your mind? You didn't have that look on your face earlier."

The sky blue-haired girl looked down and brought her knees close to her chest. "To be honest with you, there's someone I've always thought about for a long time now. Someone I haven't seen in over ten years. I lost that person right before I was engaged to Subaru twelve years ago."

At the same time, a girl with long medium purple-hair was looking at the night sky on the balcony of a large house. She had light lavender-colored eyes and a soft and gentle smile was on her face as she stared at the moon and stars.

Just then, a young man with black hair and glasses came outside and closed one of the doors to the balcony. "Are you still looking at the sky?" he asked her.

The girl nodded and turned her head towards the young man. "Hai." Then, she glanced back at the dark sky and smiled again. "Look, Shiki-san! There are stars out tonight! And there's a full moon, too! Isn't it beautiful?"

The man—Shiki nodded nonchalantly. "Do you want me to stay with you a bit longer before we go back inside?"

The medium purple-haired girl's face immediately lit up as she looked at Shiki, who was now on her right side. "Un!" She smiled softly at him. "Can we… hold hands tonight?"

"Yeah." Shiki nodded again and held out his left hand.

The girl held out her right hand and soon enough, their hands were tangled together as they continued to look at the star-filled sky.


End file.
